Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-07-23

wynn III HAAVA NASAUtNH vas
matter of small moment TO me whether
the next five wears of my life wer,
passed in Europe or America, and tn,
mystery of this affair, coupled with it.
promising advantages, gaveit a certain
recommendation. | even consented tC
go TO New York hat night that might
sail on the steamer of the next after
noon, leaving all my little business af
fairs with Dingley.
And the next afternoon as tin
steamer cast loose | was not surprised
10 sec the bent form of Mr.. BulStrodC
on the pier among the crowd. Nothing
but the evidence of his own eyes could
assure his uneasy spirit that the At
lantic was TO be put between us
Ill.
lpasS briefly over the period of my
absence. My connection with the
Liverpool house was indeed a nominal
one, consisting chiefly in the calls that
| made TO get Mr.. Bulstrode's frequent
and liberal drafts cashed. | travelled
all over the United Kingdom and a
large part of Europe, passing some de-
lightful months at Rome with my
artist-friend, Fritz. But for the un-
comfortable feeling that | was an in
voluntary exile, my enjoyment would
have been complete. Dingley wrote
me every month, always begging me
to be patient and faithful to my prom
Use, and never failing TO assure me that
my probation would speedily end.
1t did, in fact, last nearly four
years, A %cablegram from Dingley
reached me at Munich, in the words,
He is dcad-come home A month
later | sat with my old friend in my
room at Madame Breuer's, and heard
his story Of the reason for my enforced
absence. He said that Mr.. Bulstrodc
had made a very handsome provision
in his will for both of us, distributing
the residue of his large estate among
several public charities. Then he told
me what had never before been dis
closed to mortal ears, excepting when
the stricken man revealed it to him
that memorable October evening after
| had left the Office.
Horace Bulstrode, it is to be
promised, had at that time long sur
yived his wife, his children, and all his
kindred, He was ending life as | was
beginning it-alonc. As Dingley had
told me, he was benevolent and rclig-
ious, as well as millionaire: no man i n
the city was held in higher
esteem. He had dwelt here so long,
and the passing years had so narrowed
his circle of youthful friends and famll-
lars, that the circumstances attending
his marriage had passed out of men,
DRY. He shudderingly recounted them
to Peter Dingley in that awful inter-
view. The lady whom he married had
been the belle of the place in those
old days. Suitors she had without
number; the favored one was Young
Emmett Adair, The engagement had
been announced, the day of the we'd
ding was at hand, when Il shocking
tragedyinterrupted it. The dead body
of Adair vas found floating in the
river. In all the excitement and con-
sternation produced by the occurrence,
nothing appeared at all tending to
show foul play. The verdict of the
coroner's jury, of accidental drown
ing was accepted by the public
without question. Two years later,
when time had largely assuaged grief,
the widowed maiden was united to
Horace Bulstrode.
In the silence of the night, when
the clerks had all gone, the
rcmorseful millionaire poutcl into
the ears of the astoundcd Dingley the
secret of fifty years. He was himself
the murderer of Emmett Adair. Dur
ing all these years conscience had slum-
bcrcd; its pangs had become so dulled
aS to cause not the least outward mani
fcstation, Of a sudden, in a flash of
gas-light, the murdered mar had that
night stood before him,
But this is all delusion, sir" Ding.
ley had demonstrated. "All this, YOU
say, happened fifty years ago; now,
Irving is hardly twenty-five, as | have
heard him
'Pcace!' cried Bulstrode. 81 know
not and are not how it be-whethel
there cen exist Il physical resemblance
50 extraordinary, or whether the dcat
can walk abroad and take possession
of the shapes and features of the living
but this | do know-that | hav,
seen Emmett Adair tonight. The
form, the face, the eyes, even the voice
but why reason about what my owl
senses have shown me? II was he, n,
matter by what name he passes now
Peter Dingley, get him away from me
My fortune is at your command. Bur,
this horrible secret in your breast an,
never let that man cross my path again
Great God! to think of meeting him OF
the street. or suddenly, face to face, i,
Il crowd! 1t would drive me to suicide
or confession"
! should not have given Dingle,
credit for so much GOODNESS. after tn
shock Of such II revelation, but he as
sured me that he alone arranged tn
details of the plan for my absence be
You'd seas, and for obtaining my con
sent to it.
''And did YOU | asked, "sugges
the large bequest which you say he ha
left me in his willp"
| think | shall never forget the SO
lemnity with which Peter replied;
IL might have done so-bu
he forestalled me. In hi
last sickness, but while his mind wa
perfectly unclouded he sem for hi
lawyer to draw his will, and l was ais,
asked to attend.
"'What sthe name of your friend il
EuropeP' he asked me.